Pirates go for state tennis titles

So far, three of the four state singles titles in 2012 tennis have found a home in the Flathead Valley.

At the AA state tournament last weekend in Missoula, Glacier’s Kellen Bates won his third-straight state title while teammate Katya Kulikova captured her first.

At the B-C state tournament, also in Missoula last week, Bigfork’s Colter Mahlum took the boys state singles title.

So, will that trend continue today and Friday at the Class A state tournament in Great Falls?

Stay tuned ...

“It’s gonna be tough,” veteran Polson coach Bob Hislop warned.

Going for those final two titles in the Electric City will be Polson’s Brady Hislop and Whitney Zimmerman. Both won Northwestern A divisional titles last week, helping Polson snap up both team championships.

“I think Mary Conwell of Hamilton and Morgan Opp from Glendive (are the favorites),” Hislop said in girls singles.

“They have won the last two — Mary last year and Morgan her freshman year (2010).”

Hislop said Zimmerman has made some big improvements on the court from last year.

“She always has a chance,” he said.

“If she can put a good match together, hopefully it works out. It will be a tall order, but I hope it works out. I think she’s totally capable of pulling it out.”

In boys singles, Hislop says his son Brady, a freshman, could finish first, or eighth.

“Both (singles fields) are deep,” Hislop said.

“Honestly. This is no superstar like Kellen Bates, but a very deep field.”

Mitchell Decker of Corvallis is one singles player to watch.

Corvallis also has a top doubles team — Bridger Waczynski and D.J. Pekoc.

Hislop said those three could give Corvallis the team title.

Polson will have 15 players at state — six boys and nine girls. Last year the Pirates advanced four boys and seven girls.

Hislop said Polson has never had an individual state champion. The Pirates do have one in doubles, won by Cali Hislop and Malika Erickson in 2008.

The Polson girls also won state that year. The Polson boys have no state team titles.

“The girls have a good chance to get a trophy,” Hislop said.

The favorites are Hamilton and Livingston.

Corvallis’ boys are two-time defending champions.

Glendive could be a factor.

“Maybe us,” Hislop said of being in the hunt for a top three trophy.

He’s hoping one of his talented doubles teams will make some championship noise this week. Those players are divisional champs Mollybeth Hendrix and Kenzie Clay and divisional runner-ups Audra Engebretson and Karmen Borchers and Hayden Congdon and Dylan McCrumb.

Two more doubles teams to watch for from Northwestern A are Whitefish’s Camp Kenyon and Connor Ellis.

They won the divisional.

The other is Columbia Falls’ Parker Johnson and Miroslav Zvyagelskiy. Although they finished third, they came into the divisional as the top seed.